JP2001255796A - Cleaning device for electrophotographic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cleaning device for an electrophotographic device which cleans toners adhering to a cleaning member periodically and automatically by a cleaning part movable in the axial direction of a roller in the state of contacting with the cleaning member, in a cleaning device for an electrophotographic device provided with a spiral cleaning member on the outer periphery of a roller which removes toners remaining on the surface of a photoreceptor by rotating the roller. SOLUTION: Because a cleaning material 44 set fixedly to an internal cylinder case 43 is held freely turnably to an external case 41, the cleaning material 44 rotates along the spiral shape of a cleaning blade 21 arranged peripherally on a cleaning roller 13 according to the linear movement of a roller cleaning part 40 in the outer peripheral part of the cleaning roller 13. Thus, the toners adhering to the cleaning blade 21 are scraped by a slit 50 provided on the cleaning material 44.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus provided with a cleaning device for removing toner attached to the surface of a photoreceptor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electrophotographic apparatus, a toner image formed on the surface of a photoreceptor is transferred to recording paper to output a recording image. When the toner image is transferred to recording paper, all of the toner image is transferred. Cannot be transferred to recording paper, and a part of the toner image remains on the surface of the photoconductor.

[0003] Toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor is formed in the subsequent latent image forming step and developing step unless the surface of the photoreceptor where the toner remains is not removed before the next charge removal step. This causes the toner image to be stained and the image to be missing.

Accordingly, the present applicant has filed Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-03.
According to 5437, a cleaning device that removes toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor by rotating while pressing a roller member having a cleaning member made of an elastic material such as rubber on the outer periphery in a spiral shape is pressed against the surface of the photoconductor. Has been disclosed.

According to this cleaning device, the roller member is rotated while only a part of the cleaning member is constantly in contact with the surface of the photoreceptor, so that the entire width of the photoreceptor is sequentially contacted with a uniform force, and the toner is removed. Can be removed.

[0006]

However, in this cleaning device, when the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor is scraped by the cleaning member, all of the scraped toner does not fall into the cleaning device. There is a problem that a part thereof adheres to the cleaning member.

If the cleaning of the surface of the photoreceptor is continued with the toner adhered to the cleaning member, the amount of toner adhering to the cleaning member further increases, and finally, the toner adheres to the surface of the photoreceptor again. I will. As a result, the above-described problems such as soiling of the toner image and image omission occur.

Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean the toner adhered to the cleaning member. However, since the cleaning member is provided spirally around the roller member, the cleaning device cannot automatically clean the toner. Conventionally, the operator wipes the toner adhered to the cleaning member by hand while rotating the roller member, or removes the roller member from the cleaning device and wipes it off.

However, the operation of wiping by hand while rotating the roller member, or removing and wiping the roller member is very inefficient and time-consuming. In addition, when wiping by hand while rotating the roller member, it is conceivable that an operator may get his hands caught during cleaning work, and there is also a safety problem.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the cleaning unit movable in the axial direction of the cleaning roller unit in a state of being in contact with the cleaning member can automatically and efficiently clean the toner adhered to the cleaning member, and further, the operator can pinch his hand. An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus that is not likely to be damaged.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is directed to a cleaning apparatus for an electrophotographic apparatus for removing toner remaining on the surface of a photoreceptor. A cleaning roller having a cleaning member in a shape of a circle, and a cleaning unit movable in the axial direction of the cleaning roller in a state in contact with the cleaning member of the cleaning roller.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus for removing toner remaining on the surface of a photoreceptor, wherein the cleaning roller has a plurality of spiral cleaning members on the outer periphery; A cleaning unit movable in the axial direction of the cleaning roller unit in a state of being in contact with the plurality of cleaning members of the cleaning roller unit.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the cleaning apparatus for an electrophotographic apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the cleaning unit is further rotatable in a circumferential direction of the cleaning roller unit. There is a feature.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a wet electrophotographic apparatus which is an electrophotographic apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
This wet electrophotographic apparatus uses a developer in which a fine toner having a toner particle diameter of 1 to 2 μm or less is dispersed in a highly insulating solvent as a developer, and a photosensitive drum 1, a charging unit 2, an exposure unit 3, The image forming apparatus includes a developing unit 4, a transfer unit 6, a fixing unit 7, a pre-cleaning exposure unit 8, a cleaning unit 11, and a charge removing unit 15.

The photosensitive drum 1 has a photoconductive layer formed on the outer periphery. The charging section 2 uniformly positively charges the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 in a dark place by a corona discharger. The exposure unit 3 irradiates light to an area to be visualized according to image data supplied from an image data supply unit (not shown) to eliminate the positive charges in that area.
On the other hand, since light is not irradiated to a region which is not visualized, a positive charge remains. Thus, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 due to the difference in charged potential.

The developing unit 4 has a developing roller 5 immersed in the lower part of the developing solution, and the developing solution adheres to the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller 5 by rotation of the developing roller 5 so that the developing solution Supply. The toner in the developer has a positive charge.

The toner supplied to the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 adheres to a visualization area having a relatively low positive potential in the electrostatic latent image due to an electric attraction force. Are visualized as toner images.

The transfer unit 6 transfers the toner image formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 to the recording paper P conveyed from a recording paper supply unit (not shown). The fixing unit 7
The toner image transferred to the recording paper P is heated.

The pre-cleaning exposure unit 8 irradiates the entire outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 with uniform light immediately after the toner image is transferred, and charges the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 in the charging unit 2. Among the positive charges, the positive charges remaining in the light-irradiated area in the exposure unit 3 due to the invisible image area are erased.

The cleaning unit 11 uses a cleaning roller 13 to collect toner remaining on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 (hereinafter, referred to as a cleaning process). Further, the charge removing section 15 is an AC corona discharger, and removes positive charges remaining on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by corona ions.

When the photosensitive drum 1 rotates at a constant speed in the direction of arrow A, the charging unit 2, the exposing unit 3, the developing unit 4, the transfer unit 6, the pre-cleaning exposing unit 8, the cleaning unit 11,
And the process of the charge removing section 15 are continuously performed, and the recording paper P
A predetermined toner image is formed thereon. Thereafter, the recording paper P
The upper toner image is heated by the fixing unit 7 and is permanently fixed on the recording paper P.

Next, the cleaning unit 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 2 and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the inside of the cleaning unit 11, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inside of the cleaning unit 11.

The cleaning section 11 includes a cleaning roller 13, a roller cleaning section 40, a slide rail 45, a driving pulley 46, a driven pulley 47, a driving wire 48, a roller cleaning section driving motor 49, a slide guide 51, 52.

The cleaning roller 13 has a spiral cleaning blade 21 made of an elastic material such as silicon rubber or urethane rubber on the outer periphery thereof.

The cleaning roller 13 is rotatably supported at both ends by a slide guide 51 at a predetermined speed in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed by a driving device including a drive motor and a drive transmission mechanism (not shown). Rotate.

The roller cleaning section 40 includes an outer case 41,
It comprises a bearing 42, an inner cylindrical case 43, and a cleaning material 44. A bearing 42 is fitted on the inner surface of the outer case 41, and an inner cylindrical case 43 is fitted on the inner surface of the bearing 42.

The cleaning material 44 is made of sponge, soft rubber, or the like, and is fixed to the inner surface of the inner cylindrical case 43. This cleaning material 44 has a slit 50 that is slightly narrower than the thickness of the cleaning blade 21.

With this configuration, the cleaning material 44 is rotatable with respect to the outer case 41 together with the inner cylindrical case 43. In other words, the cleaning material 44 can be rotated in accordance with the spiral shape of the cleaning blade 21 with the slit 50 provided in the cleaning material 44 lightly sandwiching the cleaning blade 21 provided on the outer periphery of the cleaning roller 13.

Further, since the outer case 41 has a concave portion on the outer side surface loosely fitted to the side surface of the slide rail 45, the roller cleaning section 40 can slide on the side surface of the slide rail 45.

Both ends of the slide rail 45 are fixed to the slide guide 51 so that the side surface thereof is parallel to the axis of the cleaning roller 13. The slide rail 45 has a drive pulley 4 inside its both ends.
6 and a driven pulley 47 are rotatably supported.

A drive wire 48 is stretched between the drive pulley 46 and the driven pulley 47, and both ends of the drive wire 48 are connected to the outer case 41.

The drive shaft of the roller cleaning unit driving motor 49 is connected to the driving pulley 46, and the driving force of the roller cleaning unit driving motor 49 is transmitted to the roller cleaning unit 40 via the driving pulley 46 and the driving wire 48. Reportedly. Thus, the roller cleaning unit 40 can move the side surface of the slide rail 45 in a direction parallel to the axis of the cleaning roller 13.

The slide guides 52 are fixed on both sides inside the cleaning case 12. The slide guide 52 forms a pair with the slide guide 51,
They can slide with each other. This allows the cleaning blade 21 to move from a position in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the photoreceptor 1 to a position away from the photosensitive member 1.

Next, the cleaning operation when the roller cleaning unit 40 cleans the cleaning blade 21 will be described in detail.

The toner remaining on the outer peripheral surface of the photoreceptor 1 is
A spiral cleaning blade 21 provided around the outer periphery of the cleaning roller 13 is scraped off by rotating while being in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the photoreceptor 1, and a part thereof falls to the bottom of the cleaning case 12. Instead, it adheres to the cleaning blade 21.

When the cleaning process for a predetermined time is completed, the slide guide 51 at the position shown in FIG. 2 is moved to the position shown in FIG. As a result, the cleaning blade 21
The roller cleaning unit 40 is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive member 1 without contact with the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor 1.
Can be moved between the two end portions.

Thereafter, the roller cleaning unit 40 that has been waiting at the standby position moves from the standby position to the other end by rotating the roller cleaning unit drive motor 49 in a predetermined direction. Then, when the roller cleaning unit 40 reaches the other end,
The roller cleaning unit drive motor 49 reverses the rotation direction and moves the roller cleaning unit 40 to the standby position again.

At this time, the outer case 41 moves linearly in parallel with the axis of the cleaning roller 13 along the side surface of the slide rail 45, but the inner cylindrical case 43 is held rotatably with respect to the outer case 41. Therefore, the cleaning material 44 fixed to the inner cylindrical case 43 rotates along the spiral shape of the cleaning blade 21 as the roller cleaning unit 40 linearly moves on the outer peripheral portion of the cleaning roller 13.

As a result, the toner adhering to the cleaning blade 21 is scraped off to the bottom of the cleaning case 12 by the slit 50 of the cleaning material 44.

When the roller cleaning unit 40 returns to the standby position and the cleaning process is completed, the slide guide 51 is moved to the position shown in FIG. And makes the next cleaning process possible.

In this embodiment, since the cleaning roller 13 having one spiral cleaning blade 21 is used as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cleaning material 44 of the roller cleaning section 40 has one slit 50. However, as shown in FIG. 5, when using the cleaning roller 23 having four spiral cleaning blades 31 on the outer peripheral portion, four slits 60 of the cleaning material 44 may be provided.

The number of spiral cleaning blades provided on the outer periphery of this roller is set to an arbitrary number based on the peripheral speed of the photosensitive member and the cleaning roller.
The same number of slits may be provided in the cleaning material 44.

Although the present embodiment has been described using a wet electrophotographic apparatus, it goes without saying that the present invention is also applicable to a dry electrophotographic apparatus.

[0044]

As described above, according to the cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus for removing toner remaining on the surface of a photoreceptor according to claim 1, a cleaning roller having a spiral cleaning member on the outer periphery; Since the cleaning unit is provided with a cleaning unit that is movable in the axial direction of the cleaning roller unit while being in contact with the cleaning member of the cleaning roller unit, the toner adhering to the cleaning blade can be automatically cleaned periodically in the cleaning process. The toner adhered to the cleaning blade can be efficiently cleaned.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus, wherein a cleaning roller having a plurality of spiral cleaning members on an outer periphery thereof and a plurality of cleaning members of the cleaning roller are in contact with each other. Since the cleaning unit is provided with the cleaning unit movable in the axial direction of the cleaning roller unit, the cleaning roller unit having a plurality of cleaning members can also remove toner from all the cleaning members by one cleaning process.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cleaning apparatus for an electrophotographic apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the cleaning unit further includes a cleaning roller. Since it is rotatable in the circumferential direction, the cleaning process can be easily performed only by linearly moving the cleaning unit in the axial direction of the cleaning roller unit without rotating the cleaning roller unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic structure of an electrophotographic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the inside of a cleaning unit 11;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the inside of a cleaning unit 11;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the inside of a cleaning unit 11;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the inside of the cleaning unit 11;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 photosensitive drum 2 charging unit 3 exposure unit 4 developing unit 6 transfer unit 7 fixing unit 8 exposure unit before cleaning 11 cleaning unit 12 cleaning case 13, 23 cleaning roller 15 static elimination unit 21, 31 cleaning blade 40 roller cleaning unit 41 external case 42 Bearing 43 Inner cylindrical case 44 Cleaning material 45 Slide rail 46 Drive pulley 47 Driven pulley 48 Drive wire 49 Roller cleaning unit drive motor 50, 60 Slit 51, 52 Slide guide

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus for removing toner remaining on a surface of a photoconductor, comprising: a cleaning roller unit having a spiral cleaning member on an outer periphery; and a cleaning member of the cleaning roller unit. A cleaning unit movable in the axial direction of the cleaning roller unit in a state. 2. A cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus for removing toner remaining on a surface of a photoconductor, comprising: a cleaning roller unit having a plurality of spiral cleaning members on an outer periphery; and a plurality of cleaning units for the cleaning roller unit. A cleaning unit movable in the axial direction of the cleaning roller unit while being in contact with the member. 3. The cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit is further rotatable in a circumferential direction of the cleaning roller unit. Cleaning equipment for photographic equipment.